Test 3 Flashcards
What were some important components of Hellenistic culture?
- Philosophical and political thinking
- The writing of history (library in Alexandria in Ptolemy’s kingdom)
- Alexandria was cosmopolitan city: cosmopolitan= citizen belonging to whole world or universe
- Theatre (Drama)
- A form of Greek that became international language of its day (Koine Greek), helped connect economies and spread Greek philosophy
- 3 King married into societies they ruled
- chattel slavery spread
Who was Epicurus, and what did he believe?
He was a philosopher whose philosophy was to have garden, invite women/slaves to think about what makes them happy (self was most imp thing)
Who was Chandragupta, and what did he do?
He founded and was the ruler of the Mauryan Empire (Largest south Asian empire) in Indus Valley. He wanted to be like Alexander the Great.
Who took over the Mauryan empire after Chandragupta died, and what were some characteristics of his regime?
Chandragupta passed the Mauryan empire down to his grandson Asoka.
Regime of Asoka:
- 100s of 1000s of me in army
- ruled almost entire South Asia
- faithful follower of Buddhism (bc of moment of realization, renounced violence)
- claimed to rule over kingdom following a set of moral regulations called Dharma
- issued decrees which were displayed on stone pillars and boulders throughout the empire
- mixed cultures in society
- we don’t know much about the Mauryan society
What was the kingdom of Bactria, and what were some of its accomplishments?
The Hellenistic kingdom of Bactria broke away from Seleucids, inhabited Gandhara region (Pakistan) and part of India.
- Bactrians are also called Indo-Greeks
- stabilized region, made trade easier
- created Silk Road
- Alexander’s children helped rule land
- Bridge between South Asia and Greek world of Meditteranean
What were the Hellenistic cities of South Asia like?
- Greeks planted crops familiar to them
- temples were suitable places for cultural assimilation
- cities and kings issued coins with Greek inscriptions/legends
- most men and women spoke and wrote some Greek
- had standard measurement/numbers
What was Mahayana Buddhism?
- created more diverse/pleasant idea of afterlife
- enlightened demigods who helped indivs obtain Nirvana were called Bodhisattvas
What was Buddhism like in 200 BCE?
- Buddhist monks followed commercial networks, spread words of Buddah
- Buddhist monks began to translate Buddhist texts into Chinese
- Buddhism was unable to dislodge Zoroastrianism from its dominance on Iranian plateau
- Buddhism was chief expansionist faith
Who were the Parthians?
Empire to east of Rome that stopped its expansion in that direction
- it’s people had moved south from present-day Turkmenistan
- social order was founded on nomadic pastoralism and a war capability based on technical advances in mounted horseback warfare
- roman emperors like Marcus Crassus and Mark Anthony tried to conquer arid lands east of Judea and Syria, but were stopped by the Parthians
What was the Silk Road?
- trade route between Far East and Middle East
- caravans, traders, and travelers went on it
- one of most profitable roads ever created
What was Chinese silk used for?
Was used as currency in China’s diplomatic and military activities, for writing, and clothing
What were the two main caravan cities and their characteristics?
Palmyra and Petra (in today’s Syria)
- emerged at endpoints of major trade routes, linked Meditteranean w silk and incense routes.
- resting places, places where trading groups assembled before journeys
- Petra facilitated movement of spices on spice/incense road
- Palmyra handled silk and other textiles (After Petra), marble city in desert
Who were the three generals of Alexander who took over when he died, and what did they do?
Antigonus - Greece/Asia Minor
Ptolemy- Egypt/Palestine
Selecus- Babylon
Spread Hellenistic culture
How was the Qin dynasty created?
Li Si (chief minister of Qin state) told e Zheng (future emperor) to take advantage of situation (disarray), Zhou state of Qin took over all other warring states
- “China” comes from word “Qin!
- Qin dynasty sometimes called first true dynasty
Who was emperor Zheng (Shi Huangdi) and how did he rule his empire?
Was emperor of Qin dynasty
- divided China into provinces called commanderies (jun), each w civilian and military governor and imperial inspector (all answered to emperor)
- created capital of China (Xianyang)
- made it so when he died, dynasty would continue
- brutal and strict leader suspicious of deceit/rebellion
- required adult males to register with imperial clerk (for army draft, taxes)
- improved writing and measurement system
- all roads in China lead to Xianyang
- compass, paper money, and paper were invented during Qin dynasty
Who was the emperor who ruled after (same as?) emperor Zheng?
Shi Huangdi. He…
- Expanded territory
- built roads into newly seized pastureland
- built massive defense wall along border (Great Wall) to keep nomadic tribes/barbarians out
- settled some thirty thousand colonists in the territory
- used army to seize their pastureland
- used diplomacy w nomads
- two emperors after him commit suicide from pressure, empire becomes weak, civil war happens
Who took control of China after the Qin Dynasty fell apart?
Commoner and former policeman Liu Bang proclaimed himself first Han emperor
- claimed Mandate of Heaven
- said Qin were evil
Who was Emperor Wu?
An emperor during the (former, western) Han dynasty.
- called martial emperor, but never went in battle
- followed Daoist principle of Wuwei (non interference), striving to remain aloof from day to day activities and let empire function on own
- still used strict penal code to eliminate powerful officials who got in way
